… the laws and ordinances of this
Dispensation Bahá'u'lláh has specifically characterized as "the breath of
life unto all created things", as "the mightiest stronghold", as
the "fruits" of His "Tree", as "the highest means for
the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples", as
"the lamps of His wisdom and loving providence", as "the
sweet-smelling savour of his garment", as the "keys" of His
"mercy" to His creatures. "This book" (The Kitab-i-Aqdas),
He Himself testifies, "is a heaven which we have adorned with the stars of
Our commandments and prohibitions."
(Shoghi Effendi, extracted from God
Passes By and published in The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book; included in a
Memorandum by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice dated
May 3, 1994)
